Gordon Brown has emphasized the urgent need to completely eliminate the two-child benefit cap, increasing pressure on Keir Starmer’s administration to take action. The former Labour Prime Minister denounced the alarming levels of child poverty in the UK as a disgrace and a stain on the nation’s conscience during a significant address on Thursday. His stance coincides with Keir Starmer’s deliberation on either scrapping or reducing the impact of the Conservative-led policy, which has been criticized by charities for perpetuating child poverty by limiting Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit to the first two children in a family.
There are indications that the government is exploring various options, including implementing a new tapered rate or introducing a three-child benefit restriction to mitigate the effects of the austerity measure. A child poverty review is anticipated to coincide with Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s upcoming Budget announcement on November 26.
Mr. Brown pointed out, “The continual rise in child poverty is directly linked to the two-child rule. I am unequivocally in favor of ending this policy.” He stressed that without abolishing the two-child rule entirely, the government would fall short of its objectives to reduce poverty by the end of the parliamentary term and achieve the target that 75% of children under five should be school ready.
The former Prime Minister highlighted the negative implications of retaining the so-called “rape-clause,” an exemption that can be sought due to ‘non-consensual conception,’ if the two-child rule remains in place. He argued that complete abolition is a superior solution compared to any partial reforms or tapering that do not fully eliminate the two-child rule.
Mr. Brown also criticized former Chancellor George Osborne, who introduced the policy, stating that the legislative inclusion of this discriminatory measure almost a decade ago was unacceptable. He debunked the belief propagated by Osborne that the policy was necessary to prevent taxpayers from subsidizing individuals who couldn’t afford to have children, emphasizing that 60% of affected families had at least one working member or a newborn child.
Furthermore, he commended former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s contributions, lauding her efforts at the 60th anniversary event of the Child Poverty Action Group. Reflecting on the current state of child poverty, Mr. Brown expressed shock at the approximately 4.5 million children living in poverty, the highest figure in six decades, surpassing even the levels seen during the Thatcher and Major eras. He emphasized the importance of organizations like the Child Poverty Action Group in addressing societal injustices and inequalities.
During the same event, Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern highlighted the financial struggles that families face due to child poverty, emphasizing the need for better income support to address the associated costs. The Government is set to unveil a strategy aimed at tackling the underlying causes of child poverty, as per a statement from a Government spokesperson.